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This juicy Roast Beef Tenderloin is slathered in garlic butter and packed with flavor. Add a simple red wine sauce, and you’ve got a truly unforgettable main dish. It’s tender, rich, and perfect for any special dinner.
Of all the beef tenderloin recipes, this one’s our go-to. Great for Christmas, New Year’s, or a cozy weekend roast. If you’re wondering how to cook roast beef tenderloin, this recipe makes it easy
What Makes This Beef Tenderloin Work
Garlic butter adds rich flavor and helps create a golden, caramelized crust. Roasting at high heat keeps the beef tenderloin tender and juicy. A simple red wine sauce ties everything together for a restaurant-quality finish.
This method takes the guesswork out of how to cook roast beef tenderloin. It’s easy, reliable, and perfect for any special occasion.
What Goes Into This Beef Tenderloin
This beef tenderloin recipe keeps things simple yet indulgent, combining high-quality beef with bold, classic flavors. The garlic butter adds richness, while the red wine sauce brings depth and elegance to every bite. Here are a few key ingredients that make it shine:
- Beef Tenderloin: A 5–6 pound trimmed cut is the star of this recipe—tender, lean, and perfect for roasting.
- Garlic: Fresh, minced cloves infuse the butter with bold, aromatic flavor.
- Red Wine: Dry varieties like Merlot or Pinot Noir create a rich, velvety base for the sauce.
- Beef Stock: Adds body and deep savory flavor to balance the acidity of the wine.
Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients with measurements
How To Make Beef Tenderloin
- Prepare the Tenderloin: Slice beef in half crosswise to create two roasts. If untied, fold ends and tie with kitchen twine to ensure even thickness. Chill uncovered in the fridge for 12 hours.
- Bring to Room Temperature: Remove the roasts from the fridge and let them sit at room temperature for 1–2 hours before cooking. This helps them roast evenly
- Preheat and Season: Preheat your oven to 430°F (220°C) with the rack in the center. Season both roasts generously with salt and pepper on all sides.
- Sear the Meat: Heat oil in a oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Sear each roast on all four sides, about 3 minutes per side, for a total of 12 minutes.
- Make Garlic Butter: While the roasts are searing, mix together butter, garlic, and Dijon mustard . Set aside half the mixture for the red wine sauce. Slather the rest over the roasts.
- Roast the Tenderloin: Transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast until an instant-read thermometer hits 120–125°F for medium rare, about 20–25 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Make the Red Wine Sauce: Skim off any fat from the pan juices. In the same pan, heat oil and sauté the onion until golden. Add herbs and pepper, stir for a minute, then pour in the wine and reduce by half.
- Finish the Sauce and Serve: Add beef stock and simmer until reduced by half. Stir in reserved garlic butter and any resting juices. For a smooth finish, strain the sauce before serving with the carved beef tenderloin.
This juicy beef tenderloin pairs beautifully with rich sides and vibrant vegetables. Creamy mashed potatoes, roasted garlic green beans, or a classic Caesar salad balance the flavors without overshadowing the meat. A buttery dinner roll or crusty bread is perfect for soaking up that red wine sauce.
For a holiday spread or elegant dinner, serve your roast beef tenderloin with Spinach Ricotta Manicotti, Cheesy Potatoes, or Honey Roasted Carrots With Garlic Butter. These sides elevate the experience and turn this beef tenderloin recipe into a memorable feast
Recipe FAQ’s
Use a meat thermometer to check doneness. For medium rare, the internal temperature should read 120–125°F before resting. It will rise a few degrees as it rests.
Yes! You can trim, tie, and season the roast up to a day in advance. Keep it uncovered in the fridge, then bring it to room temperature before roasting.
Reheat gently in a 250°F oven until just warmed through. Avoid high heat, which can dry out the meat. Slice it first for faster, more even reheating.
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Beef Tenderloin
Ingredients
TENDERLOIN:
- 5-6 pounds beef tenderloin trimmed
- 3 teaspoons coarse salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cracked pepper black
- 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter divided
- 4 cloves garlic large and minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard optional
RED WINE SAUCE:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 1 onion or brown shallots, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups dry red wine Merlot or Pinot Noir
- 2 cups beef stock or broth
- 1 sprig fresh thyme or rosemary
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
BEEF TENDERLOIN
- Slice tenderloin in half crosswise to create 2 smaller roasts. If roast is untied, fold ends up against the centre/thicker part of each roast and tie with kitchen twine spaced about 1-inch apart. Make sure each halve is even in thickness.
- Chill in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 12 hours (if time allows).
- Let beef stand at room temperature for 1-2 hours before roasting.
- Arrange oven rack to the middle of your oven and preheat to 430°F (220°C).
- Season each beef tenderloin roast all over with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until hot.
- Sear roasts on all four sides for about 3 minutes each side (about 12 minutes total), turning with tongs until well browned.
- Combine butter, garlic and Dijon (if using) together in a small bowl while roasts are searing. Set one half of the butter mixture aside to use later for the sauce.
- Slather remaining garlic butter over each roast (about 2 tablespoons each).
- Transfer skillet into the hot oven. (Alternatively: Transfer roast to a lightly greased roasting pan or baking dish.)
- Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 120-125°F for medium rare (about 20-25 minutes). *Or cook to your liking: 115-120°F for rare130-135°F for medium(Temperature will continue to rise about 5 degrees while the meat rests.)
- Transfer the roast to a carving board and let rest for 15 minutes. Keep the juices in the pan to make the sauce (see below).
- Carve the beef tenderloin into 1/2-inch-thick slices and serve the beef tenderloin with the optional red wine sauce.
RED WINE SAUCE
- Skim fat off the remaining juices in the pan (if any).
- Heat oil in the same pan with remaining pan juices over medium-high heat. Sauté onion for about 3 minutes until lightly browned and softened, scraping up any browned bits left from the beef.
- Add thyme/rosemary and season with pepper. Continue cooking for a further minute or so while stirring often.
- Pour in red wine and cook until reduced by half.
- Add in beef stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half. Remove the sprig of thyme or rosemary.
- Season with salt to taste and whisk in reserved garlic butter. Pour in any juices left over from the resting steaks just before serving.OPTIONAL FOR A SMOOTH AND SILKY SAUCE: strain sauce through a sieve and discard the onion before serving.
Notes
- Tuck the tapered end of your beef tenderloin into the twine while tying to ensure the roast is the same size throughout.
- Sear beef tenderloin before popping it into the oven.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thank you for posting this wonderful recipe, Glad to found this recipe, i’m going to prepare this Roast Beef Tenderloin on my Sister’s birthday i hope that i made it good and deliciouse and hope they like it.
I am looking forward to see more such type of recipe.
I made it today and it was absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Our family loved it from the first bite until the last. Believe it or not the men at the table wanted not just seconds but a few more bites. The Red wine sauce was a perfect delight and enjoyed by all. Thank you for making our dinner a joy, everyone is still talking about it this afternoon. Mary
I skipped the drying in the fridge, but it turned out to be delicious, and the four other family members agreed. Many thanks!
I had planned to prepare your Garlic Prime Rib for Christmas lunch since prime rib is my mother’s favorite cut of meat; however, when you live in a small town, you can’t always find what you want. I was able to find tenderloin and it was fabulous. My whole family enjoyed the meat. The red wine gravy/sauce is a must have. My future son-in-law believes it can be served with anything … beef, pork, chicken, eggs, as a soup. It may well have been his favorite part of the meal.
Thank you for your great recipes.
This recipe looks wonderful. I intent to use for our Christmas Eve dinner. Thanks so much for the recipe.
This is by far, the best tenderloin I’ve made. I found searing and cooking it hot for a short amount of time is far better than a slow roast. Do not skip the wine sauce; it is fantastic! Don’t change anything about the recipe, it is perfect.
This was AMAZING! The whole family loved it! My daughter said “Dad, This. Is. Your. Best. Yet! She wants to eat that every night. I don’t think the budget will allow that however:)
Seriously, the wife and kids licked their plates! Served it with your easy creamy mashed potatoes and broiled asparagus.
Terry that’s AWESOME! Thank you for sharing!
I’ve cooked a lot of tenderloins in my 62 years and this was as good as any. I missed the uncovered drying in the frig, but browned beautifully and the taste is what you expect from an expensive piece of meat. Was cooked medium rare with very little overdone ends.
The sauce needed a but more mustard to keep it from being so greasy, but had great flavor.
Hi Gail, it is good to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! Merry Christmas!
Karina,
I’m going to prepare your Best Beef Tenderloin recipe for Christmas along with your Browned Butter Mashed Potatoes with Garlic Parmesan.( excuse me, did a little drooling there!) The pan you used to brown your prime rib, what kind is it? It ‘s exactly what I need; having a handle with a long arm and then a helper smaller lip on the other side to aid with picking up the pan. My strength in my arms are weakened and I need something to sear my meats and then go from stove top to oven with the use of both my hands in lifting. Thanks for your help!